Gameweek 1 of Fantasy Premier League 2025/26 kicked off in style with Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Bournemouth. Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Hugo Ekitiké all found the net, with Ekitiké also providing an assist. Bonus points went to Ekitiké (2) and Salah (1), making them the standout FPL assets from the opening weekend.
Here’s a look at the essential Gameweek numbers: captaincy, ownership and chip usage.
Captaincy decisions could define Gameweek 1, with Salah leading the way and several other big names attracting the armband. Here’s how the overall captaincy numbers stack up:
| Player | Overall Captaincy (%) |
|---|---|
| Salah | 45.1 |
| Haaland | 15.8 |
| Palmer | 9.7 |
| João Pedro | 5.1 |
| Ekitiké | 2.1 |
Salah rewarded his backers with a late goal and a bonus point, while Ekitiké’s 11-point haul made him the standout differential captain. Haaland, Palmer and João Pedro are yet to feature — Man City face Wolves in Saturday’s late kick-off, while Chelsea host Palace on Sunday afternoon.
The opening weekend also revealed the early template, with Chelsea and Liverpool assets dominating the top 10 most-owned players across FPL:
| Player | Team | Cost | Ownership (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | Chelsea | £10.5m | 63.7 |
| João Pedro | Chelsea | £7.5m | 56.8 |
| Salah | Liverpool | £14.5m | 54.7 |
| Dúbravka | Burnley | £4.0m | 35.2 |
| Wirtz | Liverpool | £8.5m | 34.5 |
| Frimpong | Liverpool | £6.0m | 31.6 |
| Watkins | Aston Villa | £9.0m | 28.0 |
| Van de Ven | Spurs | £4.5m | 27.8 |
| Gyökeres | Arsenal | £9.0m | 26.1 |
| Wan-Bissaka | West Ham | £4.5m | 25.9 |
Palmer and João Pedro lead the way, with both Chelsea attackers owned by more than half of FPL managers. Salah remains essential, while Liverpool’s new arrivals Wirtz and Frimpong are attracted strong ownership. However, Frimpong frustrated his backers with just a single point after being subbed off in the 59th minute. At the other end of the scale, budget picks like Van de Ven, Wan-Bissaka and Dúbravka are proving valuable enablers, freeing up funds for premium assets..
| Chip | Overall Usage (%) |
|---|---|
| Triple Captain | 2.2 |
| Bench Boost | 4.7 |
| Free Hit | 0.0 |
| Wildcard | 0.0 |
Only a small fraction of managers played chips in Gameweek 1, with 2.2% using Triple Captain and 4.7% activating Bench Boost. The vast majority are saving them for future gameweeks.
Salah has already delivered as the most backed captain, while Ekitiké looks like a potential breakout star after his opening haul. Ownership trends show that Chelsea attackers and Liverpool’s new signings are forming the early template, but differentials like Ekitiké could quickly shape the season if they continue to deliver.
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